I Love Aerin Lauder's Aspen Ski House

When I saw her Apsen house in Vogue,  I thought “This is exactly what my Aspen ski house would look like." A girl can dream. I love the combination of white walls and oak board, the danish modern furniture, comfy white sofas  and windows to the floor. The scenic views are spectacular. 

Aerin Lauder, the epitome of cozy cool, in Daryl K leather pants, chunky cable-knit Burberry sweater, and shearling-lined L.L. Bean style duck boots.

 Jean-Michel Frank sofa, Hans Wegner hoop chairs
Cashmere-lined coyote- and fox-fur rugs made for Lauder by Pologeorgis are generously thrown over chairs and sofas;

George Nakashima table

The semi-covered deck, furnished with David Sutherland teak lounge chairs and coffee table with provisions for hot chocolate, overlooks Aspen Mountain.

the library, with breathtaking views for whoever is sitting at the desk.

  The bedrooms have specially made low oak beds

Rift-cut white-oak walls meet cedar marble in a bathroom.

her sons, twelve-year-old Jack and eleven-year-old Will,

Even the mud room reflects her cozy glamour. 

Photos: François Halard

Painting of the Day -"Cherubini" by Nina Nolte

Cherubini 1, 2006

German painter Nina Nolte was born in 1957 in El Salvador, grew up in Spain and Germany and lives and works now in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Nina Nolte’s works manifest a great understanding for the reflection of light, the freeness of spirit in realism, and pure colour.

Her lines are soft and organic, complemented by the natural-colour backgrounds that brighten her figures and bring a simple elegance to her works. In the scenes of swimmers and loungers in the pool, the playful flittering of light across a watery surface is juxtaposed with the pockets of shadows and undulating ripples.

The vibrant colours and confident gestures of her figures communicate a sense of serenity. One can feel the warm sun beating down from above yet experience the cooling, therapeutic relief of the water.

A bird’s eye view gives many of her works a cinematic touch. The close-up angles provide exposure to detail, thus inviting a certain level of intimacy and allowing the observer to make a personal connection.

Nolte’s paintings are figurative - and depicting reality in this manner represents both an artistic as well as conceptual challenge. Her paintings follow an inner imagery that has its own unique logic, which manifests itself as a compelling coherence of the individual elements. Nolte’s painting – particularly with regard to her affirmation of modern art – represents European tradition.

Billy Mack in "Love Actually"

In Character: Billy Mack

Feel free to make your case for the best Christmas movie of all time elsewhere—argue the merits of Bad Santa vs. Elf, Mickey’s Christmas Carol vs. Miracle on 34th Street—but your energies are wasted here. For me, the victor is (and will always be!) Love Actually. Here, a tight pant-fueled tribute to the best character in that best movie, Bill Nighy’s back-from-the-dead Billy Mack. —erica

I love the Billy Mac character and agree, Love Actually is my top pick. Followed closely by It's a wonderful Life and The Family Stone. - me.

A silk Haider Ackermann shirt fit for celebrating the holiday with cute bird or your manager, ugliest man in the world.

A white leather Carol Christian Poell jacket that helps you remember the lyrics are “If you really love Christmas, come on and let it SNOW.”

The sort of Hannah Martin ring that recalls your heroin-binging days—back before Blue commandeered the airwaves.

courtesy of www.ofakind.com

My latest painting - "Wonder"

I have begun painting a series of small portraits. Faces of women with expression. This profile is difficult to read, is she shocked by what she has seen?  Did her friend just tell her some juicy gossip? Is she deciding what to wear in her closet? I think the later, her expression is a light with wonder.

Wonder, 12" x 12" acrylic on canvas

This year's Christmas card

Okay, it has been a few years since I have sent out a Christmas card. This year, I ran out of time to create a card online through the number of online printers. Happens every year, blah, blah, blah. I created this very simple card in photoshop. Used cute photos of my adorable kids, Hannah and Jake and my sweet dog, Bear. I think people still like to see how fast the kids are growing. Add a thoughtful message, (this year from the Beatles) and I'm off to Kinkos/fed ex. Thirty minutes later I have a card to send to family and friends. Ta da and fa la la la la.

Painting of the Day -"Words" by Adrian Waggoner

I like this Utah artist, Adrian Waggoner.

French Illustrator Elodie based in Paris

elodie

Ëlodie works as a freelance illustrator since 2010. She developed her own realistic and poetic style. Although she prefers using traditional techniques, she enjoys experimenting with new ones regularly to try and inject more soul into her illustrations. Ëlodie is fascinated by fashion and also gets inspiration from the nostalgic universe of her childhood.

Downtown Holiday Market - Booth #34

Looking forward to the holiday market this weekend. I will be at booth #34 on Saturday, December 3rd and Sunday, December 4th from noon - 8pm. Hoping for good weather and great attendance. Should be fun!!!

Get ready for the 2011 Downtown Holiday Market.  Celebrating its seventh year, this event boasts one of the most spectacular outdoor shopping environments in the region.  This year the Downtown Holiday Market (DHM) will operate for 22 consecutive days.  It will open Friday, December 2nd, and will run continuously through Thursday, December 23^rd.  Hours will be from Noon to 8 pm each day.

Held in the vibrant Penn Quarter neighborhood with the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture as its backdrop, the festival will again be located on the wide sidewalk of F Street, stretching from 7^th to 9^th Streets NW. Both ends of the market are within view of entrances to the Gallery Place Metro. Also across the street are the Verizon Center and the bustling 7^th Street Gallery Place corridor.  Opposite the Market are Hotel Monaco, the Spy Museum, and many upscale restaurants.  http://www.downtownholidaymarket.com/